Enthusiasts from around the globe convened at the Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California, on August 15-17 to witness another Mecum extravaganza in the flesh. Did the Mecum Madness birthed at their Kissimmee 2024 kickoff translate to the quaint, picturesque bayside city on the coast of California? To add to the craziness, this particular Mecum auction takes place during Monterey Car Week, an extravaganza that includes the infamous Pebble Beach Concours d′Elegance, new car reveals, driving tours, and additional auctions from RM Sotheby’s and Gooding & Company.
Mecum has been on fire in 2024, and after their eighth auction of the year, nearly 1,000 Corvettes have hammered off to a new owner. Our CorvSport Mecum Tracker illustrates just how remarkable this collector car auction is for Corvettes and why we follow them diligently.
CorvSport Mecum Tracker
- Kissimmee 2024: 527 Corvettes offered with 72% selling
- Glendale 2024: 136 Corvettes offered with 64% selling
- Houston 2024: 83 Corvettes offered with 71% selling
- Indy 2024: 332 Corvettes offered with 70% selling
- Tulsa 2024: 56 Corvettes offered with 80% selling
- Florida Summer Special 2024: 100 Corvettes offered with 63% selling
- Harrisburg 2024: 96 Corvettes offered with 60% selling
- Monterey 2024: 35 Corvettes offered with 69% selling
♦ TOTAL To Date: 1,365 Corvettes offered with 69.4% selling
While Monterey is a smaller venue, with just 600 vehicles offered in total, the event punched above its weight and produced a record Corvette sale for Mecum in 2024. Ironically, the hammer amount for the iconic 1967 L88 Convertible shown below took the 2024 top dollar award from another L88, a 1967 Coupe that sold for $1,815,000 at Mecum’s March Glendale auction.
What Makes the L88 So Special?
“The L88 was a special option package developed under the direction of Zora Arkus-Duntov, director of GM’s performance division. First introduced in 1967, the L88 Corvette featured a highly modified version of Chevy’s 427-cubic-inch V-8 engine. Although this engine received a factory horsepower rating of 435, actual engine output was somewhere between 540 and 580 horsepower, giving the “stock” L88 enough power to run a quarter-mile in the high-11-second range!
The L88 is the “cream of the crop” for serious car collectors around the world. Between 1967 and 1969, a total of just 216 units were produced – 20 in 1967, 80 in 1968 and 116 in 1969. Their limited availability only adds to their exclusivity, as does the incredible story behind these amazing machines.” Continue Reading
Now, without further ado, let’s check out the top sales from this year’s Monterey auction and then look at a snapshot of the bottom three sellers.
The Top 5 Mecum Monterey Corvette Sales
#1
1967 Corvette L88 Convertible
Sold For: $2,352,000
- The first production Corvette L88
- One of the most historically significant L88s in existence
- 1 of only 20 produced in 1967
- The only Tuxedo Black 1967 L88 Convertible built
- A-production race car campaigned by Tony DeLorenzo and Jerry Thompson in 1967
- Multiple NCRS Top Flight awards
- Documented with a letter of Testimony from Tony DeLorenzo, ownership history (including Tony DeLorenzo, Jerry Thompson, Doug Hooper, Wayne Walker, Steve Hendrickson, Larry Bowman, Terry Michaelis and Chuck Ungurean to name a few), race grids and race results, Watkins Glen 500 August 1967 program, invitations to the “Special Collection”, Special Collection booklet scans, judging certificates from NCRS and Bloomington Gold, certificate of authenticity from the Franklin Mint and five three-ring binders
Deeper Dive: Direct link to Mecum for more information and pictures
Bonus Video: Watch This L88 Roll Across The Block!
#2
1963 Corvette Z06 Split Window Coupe
Sold For: $522,500
- Z06 Special Performance Equipment Package, first offered to the public in 1963, also known as RPO Z06 or the “race car option” package
- 1 of only 199 total Z06s produced in 1963
- L84 fuel-injected 327/360 HP V-8 engine with M20 4-speed manual transmission
- Bloomington Gold Certified and 2-time NCRS Top Flight winner
- No expense spared body-off restoration completed in 2019 by Andy Cabral using correct parts where available
Deeper Dive: Direct link to Mecum for more information and pictures
#3
1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe
Sold For: $225,500
- Matching numbers L76 327/340 HP V-8 engine with 4-speed manual transmission
- Body-off restoration completed in 2015
- Bloomington Gold Certified
- Factory original body/trim tag, body assembly date F2 (2nd week January 1963)
- Copy of Bloomington Gold Certification including judging sheets
Deeper Dive: Direct link to Mecum for more information and pictures
#4
1958 Corvette Custom Convertible
Sold For: $181,500
- 5.7L LT1 V-8 engine with 465 HP mated to a 4L60E automatic transmission
- Panama PPG Yellow base/clear exterior
- Custom interior with pleated leather
- Power 4-wheel disc brakes
Deeper Dive: Direct link to Mecum for more information and pictures
#5
1967 Corvette Coupe
Sold For: $167,200
- Rebuilt original matching numbers 427/435 HP engine
- Rebuilt original matching numbers M21 4-speed transmission
- Comprehensive 3-year restoration completed in 2008 with only 240 miles since
- Highly documented, original matching numbers drivetrain
- Odometer reads 37,166 miles
- NCRS 2nd Flight Award and judging sheets from September 2008
Deeper Dive: Direct link to Mecum for more information and pictures
Honorable Mention
#6
2019 Corvette ZR1 Coupe
Sold For: $165,000
- Supercharged 6.2L/755 HP LT5 V-8 engine with 8-speed paddle-shifted automatic transmission
- Only 948 miles!
- 3ZR Premium Equipment Group
- ZR1 Performance Package including performance suspension, magnetic ride control, dry sump oiling, electronic limited-slip differential, rear differential cooler, and performance exhaust
Deeper Dive: Direct link to Mecum for more information and pictures
The Bottom 3 Sellers
- 2002 Convertible with 45,393 miles brings $18,700
- 1995 Convertible with 25,395 miles brings $16,500
- 1999 Convertible with 71,459 miles brings $16,500
How about that delta between the first and last top seller? Monterey may have been great for the L88, but the rest were on par with other Mecums. Thanks for trusting CorvSport for all your Corvette-related news and content! If you want to keep up to date with all the fresh Corvette news and maintain a pulse on the lifestyle and culture of this exciting, iconic brand, CorvSport has the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 171,000 followers (52,000 since January 2023!). Come join other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello, Douglas B.
*ALL images and information is credited to Mecum.com